After the Clean Chit given to Aryan Shahrukh Khan, who was cleared of all charges by a special investigation team on Friday in what is now called the Cordelia Drug Bust case, the Narcotics Control Bureau has landed with egg on its face. In a bid to contain the damage, the NCB Chief SN Pradhan has spelt out the basic ground rules for his officers which are in line with the original mandate of the premier agency. While there is speculation that strict action may be taken against Sameer Wankhede, the former zonal director, questions are also being asked as to how did a middle-level officer assume so much power. It is obvious that he enjoyed patronage from some of his seniors who allowed him to even infringe the basic procedures and the due process while he was discharging his duties, often in an illegal and unauthorized manner. Thus, if any action has to be initiated against this particular officer, who is said to have enjoyed a high-flying lifestyle, his immediate superiors should also be held accountable for the lapses. They cannot be allowed to go scot-free without any accountability. Many legal experts believe that Aryan Shahrukh Khan was targeted because he is the son of a celebrity and the main motive could have been to extort money. Although, there was no direct evidence against him, yet he was sent to jail and each time, the NCB, vehemently opposed his bail plea. Even the manner of his arrest was illegal since he was brought to the NCB office by an informer who has a questionable background and had no business to physically escort an accused to the premises of the nodal agency. Had Shahrukh Khan not engaged the best legal minds for providing relief to his son, he may have languished inside for some more time.
Even at the time of his arrest, many senior functionaries associated with the NCB including its first boss, B.V.Kumar had raised vital questions regarding the flouting of procedures. One major flaw in the probe was that if indeed there had been a drug bust on board of the cruise liner, why was it not stopped from sailing to Goa and why were the services of the Coast Guard or the Navy not taken if the ship had already departed. It may be true that there is rampant substance abuse in Bollywood by some of the rich and famous but without evidence, there can be no action.
As the NCB chief, SN Pradhan has correctly stated that in the future, the emphasis of the agency should only be on busting big rackets and narcotic smuggling, particularly from Afghanistan and Pakistan. The NCB was never meant to go after small-time users, while the big dealers go undetected. Bollywood has always been a soft target since any raid on any known or unknown actor or celebrity, attracts huge media attention. Sameer Wankhede and his patrons may have likewise decided to act on an unsubstantiated tip-off that was aimed at attracting publicity as perhaps also allowing a scope for extortion from influential people.
In any case, justice has prevailed in the end and that is what matters the most. However, how would the NCB compensate those who were wrongfully charged and had to undergo emotional and psychological trauma as also physical difficulties during the period of their detention? SN Pradhan’s directives should be now treated as commandments by the officials of the agency.